Momtastic was invited to the L.A. premiere of "RIO" last Sunday at Grauman's Chinese Theater.

I was part of a group of mom bloggers who were given special blue carpet privileges, the chance to chat with Leslie Mann, and also the added treat of seeing the movie – in 3D – ahead of its release this Friday, April 15th.

"RIO" Synopsis: "Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota. Blu and Linda think he’s the last of his kind, but when they learn about another Macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the faraway and exotic land to find Jewel, Blu’s female counterpart. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers."

My observations about the film:

There is a great balance of humor, action, and heart. It's rated G, so it's "safe" for all ages – you won't get any inappropriate or off-color jokes, etc. that you find all too often in kids' movies. I loved the strong messages of family, friendship, and taking leaps of faith. RIO is visually stunning, it sucks you right in – the vibrancy of the birds, the jungle, the city, everything. It was absolutely beautiful! I highly recommend seeing it in 3D, but it will be just as enjoyable in 2D if that's your only option! Aside from the great story and the beautiful animation, the music is a blast! I have a copy of the soundtrack and have to admit that I haven't listened to an animated film's soundtrack this much since "The Lion King"! It'll make you want to learn the samba – or at least pretend you know how while you're cleaning the house.

If you haven't had a chance to check out the trailer yet, you can take a look here.

Continue to the next page for blue carpet photos from the weekend premiere held in Los Angeles at Grauman's Chinese Theater – including Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Mann, and will.i.am.

Anne Hathaway voices the character "Jewel", the last female blue macaw.

George Lopez voices "Rafael".

Jamie Foxx voices the character of "Nico".

Jesse Eisenberg voices the main character, "Blu", the last male blue macaw.

Kathleen Spencer is a pop culture fanatic, movie aficionado, lover of celebrity gossip and is a confessed mommy blog addict. Kathleen has a decade of experience writing about the trials, tribulations and triumphs of celebrities and their cohorts.